What's life inside a bottle if it's gone?
by Brittney.Blackout
Summary: Effie came to District 12, to get as far away from the Capitol as she could. She didn't know why she ended up on Haymitch's door step but she did.


Effie came to District 12, to get as far away from the Capitol as she could. She didn't know why she ended up on Haymitch's door step but she did. She didn't knock because she doubted he would of heard her anyway.

She stepped into his house in Victors Village the floor covered in a not so thin layer of dust, not that it really bothered her much anymore. Nothing of that sort did. All she thought about was the Capitol and what they did to came here to escape, to run from her problems, to drown in her sorrow and pain. There was no one she knew who did that better than Haymitch Abernathy.

The house was silent, except a deep snore coming from the kitchen. Her heels clacked against the hardwood floor as she walked that way. That was one thing she refused to let be taken from her. Her style, her clothes, her shoes. Those were who she was and she didn't know anything else.

Her hair was blue now, everything was. She thought it as fitting and ironic somehow. She couldn't explain it and she never was going to. She dropped her bags in the middle of the living room and walked into the kitchen.

Haymitch was slumped over in a kitchen chair, his head tilted at a seemingly impossible angle. The house reeked of liquor, not that she minded. That was what she was here for. She wasn't looking for answers of why things happened to her, she was sick of trying to figure it all out. She just wanted to escape everything.

She dusted off the chair with a rag left in the middle of the table before she sat down. She then grabbed the bottle from Haymitch's grasp and took a swig. She pursed her lips together, trying to quell the the burning in her throat. Once the fire was more of smoking ember she took another swig. She was half way through the bottle when he woke staring at her.

"That doesn't have the answers you're looking for sweetheart."

"I'm not looking for anything Haymitch."

"It's not going to make it easier you know. You'll still think about it, everyday, every minute, every second."

"If it doesn't help, why do you insist on being a drunkard then?"

"Says the woman that ran from the Capitol to District 12 to drink with said drunk."

"I didn't come to drink with you Haymitch."

Silence fell over them as he got up and grabbed another bottle. They drank for an hour before he spoke up again.

"It does help, sometimes. Makes it hurt less, fogs up your memories so everything isn't so clear."

She looked at him, eyes going glossy and cheeks a bright pink. She doesn't say a thing just takes another swig.

"What did they do to you?"

"Why do you drink so much Haymitch."

"Point taken." He replied "But are you ever going to talk about it?"

"Are you?" She shot back, words coming out harsher than she expect.

"Ouch, sweetheart. I get it though I do."

"No you don't." She said tears forming in her eyes about to crash over her blue rimmed eyes.

"If you didn't think I'd understand why would you come here."

"Because I know you'd have the best liquor in Panem or the most." she said face contorting into rage.

"Listen I have a spare room in the back, no one has ever used stay as long as you like, drink as much as you want. But chip in on buying it yeah?" He replied grabbing his bottle and standing up.

"Where are you going?"

"Giving you space to realize the answers aren't at the bottom of that bottle, or the next one, or the one after that."

He turned and started walking toward the stairs.

"Haymitch" She called out, causing him to teeter before turning around to face her. "Thank you" She whispered.

"Your welcome Sweetheart"

He climbed the stairs and she downed the rest of the bottle, staring at the glass in her hands. She didn't know why she was here, but she felt like it was the right choice. Maybe she could move on from this, or at least it wouldn't be so hard to face everyday.

"By the way," Haymitch called from the landing. "Blue looks good on you. But I kinda miss the pink."

For the first times in months, Effie lets a smile cross her face.


End file.
